LB 417 establishes the Nebraska Promise Program, providing tuition waivers for eligible Nebraska residents attending University of Nebraska campuses or Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture. It covers up to 15 credit hours per semester after federal grants and scholarships are applied, targeting students with family incomes under $65,000 annually and requiring a 2.5 GPA. The bill also extends similar tuition waivers to community colleges (up to 2 years) and state colleges (up to 4 years) for qualifying low-income students. Funding for these waivers comes from a new College Promise Fund, with reimbursements distributed monthly from the General Fund to institutions after annual certification. The program requires institutions to verify eligibility and maintain a standardized appeals process through the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education.
LB 538 requires all Nebraska school boards and postsecondary institutions (like colleges and universities) to adopt written policies prohibiting discrimination - including antisemitism - based on race, religion, disability, or other protected characteristics. The policies must include specific measures like ensuring equal access to programs, prohibiting biased admission criteria, and integrating the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism into student and employee conduct codes. Each school must also provide antisemitism awareness training and report incidents to a new State Department of Education Title VI coordinator, who will monitor compliance, investigate complaints, and submit annual reports to the legislature. The bill harmonizes existing requirements under federal Civil Rights law without altering First Amendment protections.
This legislative resolution from the Nebraska Legislature urges the U.S. Congress and President to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The bill directly affects children with disabilities in Nebraska and their families by calling for federal financial support that has historically been underfunded. It highlights that since 1975, the federal government has only provided 40% of the authorized funding for special education, leaving state and local schools to cover the remaining costs. The resolution requests that federal authorities enact legislation to meet the full funding mandate, thereby reducing the financial burden on Nebraska schools and taxpayers.
Nebraska's legislature passed Legislative Resolution 296 urging the U.S. President and Congress to permanently extend higher meal reimbursements for childcare centers under the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program. Specifically, it requests making permanent the 2022 Keep Kids Fed Act provisions that provide family day care homes with Tier I reimbursement rates (instead of lower Tier II) and an additional 10 cents per meal. This would directly support Nebraska's 1,283 participating childcare programs serving 23,695 low-income children, ensuring continued access to nutritious meals after current federal funding expired in 2023. The resolution has no binding effect but formally requests federal action.
LB 303 creates the School Financing Review Commission, a 18-member group including education officials, school district representatives, and community members. The commission will evaluate Nebraska's school funding formula under the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act, review resource and student need factors, and recommend changes to help prevent property tax increases. It will also analyze how school funding impacts student outcomes like attendance, literacy, and graduation rates. The bill additionally modifies budget rules to allow school districts to exceed general fund budget limits under the act.
LB 608A is an appropriations bill that allocates $781,647 for fiscal year 2025-26 and $1,351,495 for fiscal year 2026-27 from Nebraska’s General Fund to the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education (Program 692). The funds are specifically designated to support the implementation of Legislative Bill 608 (related to postsecondary education), with strict limitations requiring the money to be used only for that purpose. The bill prohibits using these funds for state employee salaries or per diems. This measure was indefinitely postponed on May 14, 2025, and never became law.
LB 428 requires Nebraska school districts to notify parents or guardians 15 days before administering surveys asking students about sensitive topics like sexual health, mental health, medical issues, substance use (drugs/vape/alcohol/tobacco), or political/religious views. Parents gain the right to review surveys in person, receive a copy, or opt their child out of participation. The bill specifically prohibits schools from surveying students in kindergarten through sixth grade about sexual health. It applies directly to all public school districts and families with K-12 students in Nebraska.
LB 84 adopts the School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact, allowing Nebraska-licensed school psychologists to practice in other participating states without duplicative licensing requirements. This directly affects school psychologists seeking to work across state lines, including military members and their spouses who relocate frequently. The key mechanism establishes a standardized pathway for verifying qualifications and issuing equivalent licenses, while requiring practitioners to follow each state's specific scope of practice rules. This aims to improve access to school psychological services by addressing workforce shortages through increased professional mobility.
LB 143 amends Nebraska's student enrollment law to extend military family enrollment protections to students with disabilities or special education needs. It requires school districts to apply their existing preliminary enrollment policies for military families - including no-charge enrollment upon arrival - to students with individualized education programs (IEPs), individualized family service plans (IFSPs), or those receiving special education services under federal law. This ensures military-connected students who require special education accommodations have equal enrollment access during relocations. The change directly affects military families with children who have disabilities or special education needs, streamlining their school enrollment process without altering other residency rules.
LB 296 requires Nebraska's State Department of Education to create a centralized system for tracking education records of students under juvenile court jurisdiction, ensuring their academic progress isn't disrupted during court involvement. The bill mandates hiring registrars to manage these records, analyze completed coursework, and award appropriate credit hours for students who finish classes while in the juvenile system. It also updates graduation requirements to include mandatory personal finance courses (starting 2023-24) and computer science education (starting 2027-28). The centralized system and registrars will be funded through the State Department of Education Improvement Grant Fund.
